Lilliput Doll and Toy Museum
Private museum in Brading with more than 2,000 antique dolls and toys dating from about 2000 BC to 1950.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Lilliput Doll and Toy Museum grew out of a private collection begun by the Munday family in the 1960s. According to the museum, the collection started after the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev sent a wooden nesting doll to a young collector and her mother, Margaret Munday. The family went on to collect antique dolls and toys, and the museum itself was created in 1974.
Today it holds well over 2,000 items from about 2000 BC to 1950, including German and French bisque dolls, teddy bears, model steam trains, tinplate vehicles, dolls’ houses, old puzzles and games. Some rare pieces have stories attached, such as a scorched wax doll rescued from a bonfire in the nineteenth century, a soft toy dog that served as an RAF mascot in the Second World War, and a mechanical walking doll patented in 1862. Well-known cartoon characters such as Popeye and Muffin the Mule are also on show, together with a Hornby display.
The collection has been shown on BBC and ITV programmes. The museum stands on the High Street in Brading and describes itself as much bigger than it looks from outside.
Highlights
- More than 2,000 antique dolls and toys from about 2000 BC to 1950
- German and French bisque dolls, teddy bears, tinplate vehicles and dolls’ houses
- Mechanical walking doll patented in 1862
- Cartoon characters including Popeye and Muffin the Mule
- Hornby model railway display
Permanent exhibition
- Antique dolls and toys collection – More than 2,000 dolls, teddy bears, tinplate and clockwork toys, dolls’ houses, puzzles and games, with notable pieces such as a mechanical walking doll and a Hornby display.
- Founded
- 1974
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £4free up to age 4 · Children under 5 are free. |
| Seniors | £4.75 |
| Groups | –Groups are welcome by arrangement. |
Prices as published on the museum website for the 2026 season.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Listed as wheelchair accessible by Visit Isle of Wight. Dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
The museum describes itself as having something of interest for all the family, and children are welcome.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Island bus services are run by Southern Vectis.
By car
Paid parking · 100 m to the entrance
Public pay car park within about 100 metres, next to Brading Church.
The museum is on the High Street in Brading.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum has a shop, which is also open over the winter by arrangement, and an online shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Group visits can be arranged outside normal hours. |
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